So I have seen 2 beaver in the same section of the river. Found one spot I can place the trap but not sure how far under the water the trigger should be.also the water drops off deep so I'm wondering if a trapped beaver can pull the trap into the deep water. If they can should I leave enough chain slack to maybe give them enough to maybe drowned them? I plan on building a castor mound in front of the trap and try blocking the sides of the trap so if anyone has a pic of how there guiding them in it would really help

Bait or lure "should" go on the back of the trap..It you want to use castor...Just build it on the frame (wire sticks and add small amount of mud if you feel the "eye" appeal will help)

Key is Solid bed the trap, so it does not move when the beaver approaches The main goal of blocking is to get the beaver to come straight it... Make sure the blocking does not interfere with the sides of the cage

Just making sure. Not many trappers own $400 traps, especially with 0 beaver caught for the season.

I make most of my sets like Vinke's second picture, in breaches. When I do make a castor set I do it like Vinke with a wad of mud and grass centered on the hog panel using an aggressive lure like Backbreaker. But 99% of mine are caught by making a narrow breach in the beaver damm and centering the trap pan on the hole. I like the pan to be 4 inches or more below the water level so floating debris doesn't fire the trap but have caught many beaver with the trap barely under water. I have caught beaver in situations where the pan was over a foot under water but the trap needs to have very strong springs to displace water and flip the beaver into the trap: which means a new Hancock or one with recently replaced springs. I rarely stake Hancocks because they aren't going anywhere once a catch is made unless set on a drop off to deep water.

Here are a few pictures. I often use guide sticks like Vinke which you can see in some of the pictures. Before...

After...

Here is another smart eleck female...

I typically use my Hancocks on the last beaver to be taken from a colony and they are usually a square shy, lure shy and circle shy problem. But it's amazing how many are fooled the first night by the goofy looking Hancock! I compare the Hancock to a cage coon trap in that they are too expensive and bulky to be used on the fur line. But a more accurate comparison is to a Lil Grizz in that they are very simple, effective and expensive.

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Life Member NTA, FHA and Iowa Trappers Association

I have caught beaver in situations where the pan was over a foot under water but the trap needs to have very strong springs to displace water and flip the beaver into the trap: which means a new Hancock or one with recently replaced springs.

I always looked at it different..... The Less water the More difficult to flip the beaVER.... Because you a flipping the entire weight of the Beaver?..Not "floating or suspended weight".But I use Koro Baskets... Maybe that is the difference??? I have only walked up to a sprung basket twice that did not have a catch, and I "assumed" (lol..we know about that word) that it was from being too shallow

I have heard that for a period of time, One of the basket manufactures was using untreated springs....Not sure if is true, but it came from a reliable local fur dealer

I don't do "dam sets" were the dam is make of stick with a lot of water flow...

Ok i dont have any dams on this river there all living in the banks.we set it today in a back water eddy that has a fresh castor mound on the bank.the whole trap us submurged in about 2 feet of water and the trigger is only about 3" underwater.this little point if land has thier trail going ftom one side to the other so they can enter from either side. The side with out the trap is really shallow and is iced in so I'm hoping they don't approch ftom that side.I also found dome mink tracks so I set a cage with a fresh skinned muskrat. Thr wife wanted to set for coon so I let her go at it.she found a great trail coming to the water with lots of fresh tracks .

One thing to point out, Hancocks are not fur friendly, Great ADC tool but unless they drown in the trap they will be patchy.

I guess this hasn't been my experience, Tom. Sometimes in the spring when the fur has gone past prime, I have had fur balled up some on the chain link fence part of the trap but these are damage control beaver caught after our season and must be burned or burried anyway. On the contrary, I like beaver caught in Hancocks because they will never be bit by other beaver. And since I just shove a trapped beaver into deep water and drown them, they are the only beaver I sell that don't have a snare rub, bodygrip mark or .22 hole in the head other than the few foothold beaver I still take. Are you on a 24 hr. check?

What is a Korso Basket, Vinke? The only Hancocks I have ever owned are manufactured in Custer, SD by the Hancock Trap Company.

Good luck Diver! Be careful not to get a Hancock frozen in. On non-dam sets you'll need a stong castor based lure and remember to play the wind. Peeled sticks for eye appeal will also help.

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Life Member NTA, FHA and Iowa Trappers Association

Pete, never used a Bailey but believe them to be less effective than a Hancock. Have you ever tried one?

I set any size of dam, made of anything. I think it's important not to tear too large of hole so they won't bring in larger material to repair the breach, such as a big branch or log. I really don't get conerned about the depth of the hole either since I tighten the tension on the pan to prevent the current or debris from firing the trap. Ideally, the beaver comes pushing some mud or carrying a wad of grass but the Hancock can take a pretty good sized sappling, corn stalk etc. and it won't interfere with the trap closing properly. Here are a few beaver from last spring.

Diver, here is a lured set that took the last beaver in a colony...

And the remake. You can see the size and placement of the mud pie on the trap. Any luck today?

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Life Member NTA, FHA and Iowa Trappers Association

I have 6 Bailey traps and have been using them since the late 70's, 30 plus yrs. I have lost count the number of Beavers that I have taken. I only use them when I am put in a politically sensitive position that I absolutely am required to live trap a Beaver.